Iran's Army Repairs Air Defenses for New War
With both Iran and Israel rearming and accusations flying, the threat of a renewed war continues to loom over the Middle East.
Newsweek has reached out to the State Department as well as the foreign ministries of Iran and Israel.
The restoration of Iran's air defenses highlights the growing risk of renewed conflict. Following coordinated Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iranian targets last month, Tehran accused Israel of acting with U.S. and NATO backing, framing the confrontation as part of a broader Western campaign. This escalation moves beyond a bilateral dispute, raising the possibility of a larger regional war involving multiple powers and proxy groups.
According to Iran's Defah Press news agency, Iranian air defence systems sustained significant damage during June's conflict when Israel took control of the skies over Iran for a short time, allowing them to carry out attacks with less resistance. Rear Admiral Mahmoud Mousavi, acknowledged the losses but stressed a swift recovery. "Some of our defense systems were damaged in this war; but with the efforts of my comrades the damaged systems were replaced and deployed in predetermined locations." he said.
Iran's military says it restored its air defenses using domestically developed systems. Its current arsenal includes the long-range Bavar-373 and Russian-supplied S-300 platforms. Defah Press did not report any recent imports of foreign-made equipment.
Meanwhile, Iran, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom are set to hold nuclear talks in Istanbul on Friday following warnings that the failure to resume negotiations could lead to international sanctions being reimposed on Tehran. The scheduled talks come after the foreign ministers of these E3 nations, along with the European Union's foreign policy chief, held their first call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi late last week.
The E3, China, and Russia remain parties to the 2015 nuclear deal, which the Trump administration exited in 2018. Tehran says its nuclear programme is solely meant for civilian purposes.
Iran's Rear Admiral Mahmoud Mousavi: "The Zionist enemy sought to destroy Iran's defence capabilities, and some of our defence systems were damaged in this war; But with the efforts of my comrades, the damaged systems were replaced and deployed in predetermined locations."
Israel's Military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir: "The campaign against Iran is not over. We are entering a new phase."
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi: "If EU/E3 want to have a role, they should act responsibly, and put aside the worn-out policies of threat and pressure, including the 'snapback' for which they lack absolutely [any] moral and legal ground."
With its air defenses restored and nuclear diplomacy back on the table, Iran is positioning itself for parallel military and political engagement as Western powers weigh whether to reimpose UN sanctions before an October 18 deadline.
Related Articles
Iran and Russia Launch Naval Drills in Challenge to USIran to Hold Nuclear Talks With 3 European CountriesIran Boasts of New Air Defenses After Attacks From Israel, USDonald Trump Sends Message To Iran Over Nuclear Ambitions
2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
USAID analysis found no evidence of massive Hamas theft of Gaza aid
WASHINGTON, July 25 (Reuters) - An internal U.S. government analysis found no evidence of systematic theft by the Palestinian militant group Hamas of U.S.-funded humanitarian supplies, challenging the main rationale that Israel and the U.S. give for backing a new armed private aid operation. The analysis, which has not been previously reported, was conducted by a bureau within the U.S. Agency for International Development and completed in late June. It examined 156 incidents of theft or loss of U.S.-funded supplies reported by U.S. aid partner organizations between October 2023 and this May. It found 'no reports alleging Hamas' benefited from U.S.-funded supplies, according to a slide presentation of the findings seen by Reuters. A State Department spokesperson disputed the findings, saying there is video evidence of Hamas looting aid, but provided no such videos. The spokesperson also accused traditional humanitarian groups of covering up "aid corruption." A White House spokesperson, Anna Kelly, questioned the existence of the analysis, saying no State Department official had seen it and that it "was likely produced by a deep state operative" seeking to discredit President Donald Trump's "humanitarian agenda." The findings were shared with the USAID's inspector general's office and State Department officials involved in Middle East policy, said two sources familiar with the matter, and come as dire food shortages deepen in the devastated enclave. Israel says it is committed to allowing in aid but must control it to prevent it from being stolen by Hamas, which it blames for the crisis. The U.N. World Food Program says nearly a quarter of Gaza's 2.1 million Palestinians face famine-like conditions, thousands are suffering acute malnutrition, and the World Health Organization and doctors in the enclave report starvation deaths of children and others. The U.N. also estimates that Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 people seeking food supplies, the majority near the militarized distribution sites of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the new private aid group that uses a for-profit U.S. logistics firm run by a former CIA officer and armed U.S. military veterans. The study was conducted by the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) of USAID, which was the largest funder of assistance to Gaza before the Trump administration froze all U.S. foreign aid in January, terminating thousands of programs. It has also begun dismantling USAID, whose functions have been folded into the State Department. The analysis found that at least 44 of the 156 incidents where aid supplies were reported stolen or lost were 'either directly or indirectly' due to Israeli military actions, according to the briefing slides. Israel's military did not respond to questions about those findings. The study noted a limitation: because Palestinians who receive aid cannot be vetted, it was possible that U.S.-funded supplies went to administrative officials of Hamas, the Islamist rulers of Gaza. One source familiar with the study also cautioned that the absence of reports of widespread aid diversion by Hamas 'does not mean that diversion has not occurred.' The war in Gaza began after Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Nearly 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Israeli assault began, according to Palestinian health officials. Israel says Hamas diverts humanitarian aid Israel, which controls access to Gaza, has said that Hamas steals food supplies from U.N. and other organizations to use to control the civilian population and boost its finances, including by jacking up the prices of the goods and reselling them to civilians. Asked about the USAID report, the Israeli military told Reuters that its allegations are based on intelligence reports that Hamas militants seized cargoes by "both covertly and overtly" embedding themselves on aid trucks. Those reports also show that Hamas has diverted up to 25% of aid supplies to its fighters or sold them to civilians, the Israeli military said, adding that GHF has ended the militants' control of aid by distributing it directly to civilians. Hamas denies the allegations. A Hamas security official said that Israel has killed more than 800 Hamas-affiliated police and security guards trying to protect aid vehicles and convoy routes. Their missions were coordinated with the U.N. Reuters could not independently verify the claims by Hamas and Israel, which has not made public proof that the militants have systematically stolen aid. GHF also accuses Hamas of massive aid theft in defending its distribution model. The U.N. and other groups have rejected calls by GHF, Israel and the U.S. to cooperate with the foundation, saying it violates international humanitarian principles of neutrality. In response to a request for comment, GHF referred Reuters to a July 2 Washington Post article that quoted an unidentified Gazan and anonymous Israeli officials as saying Hamas profited from the sales and taxing of pilfered humanitarian aid. Aids groups required to report losses The 156 reports of theft or losses of supplies reviewed by BHA were filed by U.N. agencies and other humanitarian groups working in Gaza as a condition of receiving U.S. aid funds. The second source familiar with the matter said that after receiving reports of U.S.-funded aid thefts or losses, USAID staff followed up with partner organizations to try to determine if there was Hamas involvement. Those organizations also would "redirect or pause" aid distributions if they learned that Hamas was in the vicinity, the source said. Aid organizations working in Gaza also are required to vet their personnel, sub-contractors and suppliers for ties to extremist groups before receiving U.S. funds, a condition that the State Department waived in approving $30 million for GHF last month. The slide presentation noted that USAID partners tended to over-report aid diversion and theft by groups sanctioned or designated by the U.S. as foreign terrorist organizations - such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad - because they want to avoid losing U.S. funding. Of the 156 incidents of loss or theft reported, 63 were attributed to unknown perpetrators, 35 to armed actors, 25 to unarmed people, 11 directly to Israeli military action, 11 to corrupt subcontractors, five to aid group personnel 'engaging in corrupt activities,' and six to 'others," a category that accounted for 'commodities stolen in unknown circumstances,' according to the slide presentation. The armed actors 'included gangs and other miscellaneous individuals who may have had weapons,' said a slide. Another slide said "a review of all 156 incidents found no affiliations with" U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organizations, of which Hamas is one. 'The majority of incidents could not be definitively attributed to a specific actor,' said another slide. 'Partners often largely discovered the commodities had been stolen in transit without identifying the perpetrator.' It is possible there were classified intelligence reports on Hamas aid thefts, but BHA staff lost access to classified systems in the dismantlement of USAID, said a slide. However, a source familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments told Reuters that they knew of no U.S. intelligence reports detailing Hamas aid diversions and that Washington was relying on Israeli reports. The BHA analysis found that the Israeli military 'directly or indirectly caused' a total of 44 incidents in which U.S.-funded aid was lost or stolen. Those included the 11 attributed to direct Israeli military actions, such as airstrikes or orders to Palestinians to evacuate areas of the war-torn enclave. Losses indirectly attributed to Israeli military included cases where they compelled aid groups to use delivery routes with high risks of theft or looting, ignoring requests for alternative routes, the analysis said. (Reporting by Jonathan Landay; Additional reporting by Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem; Editing by Don Durfee and Claudia Parsons)
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
Israeli gunfire and strikes kill at least 25 in Gaza, many while seeking aid
DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli airstrikes and gunshots killed at least 25 people overnight into Saturday, according to Palestinian health officials and the local ambulance service, as ceasefire talks appear to have stalled and Gaza faces famine. Gunfire killed the majority of people as they waited for aid trucks close to the Zikim crossing with Israel, said staff at Shifa Hospital, where the bodies were taken. Israel's army didn't respond to a request for comment about the shootings. Those killed in strikes included four people in an apartment building in Gaza City, hospital staff and the ambulance service said. Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas were at a standstill after the U.S. and Israel recalled negotiating teams Thursday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday his government was considering 'alternative options' to ceasefire talks. A Hamas official, however, said negotiations were expected to resume next week and described the recall of the Israeli and U.S. delegations as a pressure tactic. Egypt and Qatar, which mediate the talks alongside the United States, called the pause only temporary and said talks would resume. They did not say when. The United Nations and experts say Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are at risk of famine, with reports of increasing numbers of people dying from causes related to malnutrition. And now children with no preexisting conditions have begun to starve to death. While Israel's army says it's allowing aid into the enclave with no limit on the number of trucks that can enter, the U.N. says it is hampered by Israeli military restrictions on its movements and incidents of criminal looting. The Hamas-run police had provided security for safe aid delivery, but it has been unable to operate after being targeted by Israeli airstrikes. Israel on Saturday said more than 250 trucks carrying aid from the U.N. and other organizations entered Gaza this week. About 600 trucks were entering per day during the latest ceasefire that Israel ended in March. The latest Zikim crossing shootings come days after at least 80 Palestinians were killed trying to reach aid entering through the crossing. Israel's military at the time said its soldiers shot at a gathering of thousands of Palestinians who posed a threat. During the shootings late Friday, Sherif Abu Aisha said people started running when they saw a light that they thought was from the aid trucks, but as they got close they realized it was from Israel's tanks. That's when the army started firing on people, he told the Associated Press. He said his uncle, a father of eight, was among those killed. 'We went because there is no food ... and nothing was distributed,' he said. Men carried the latest bodies through the rubble Saturday. A small boy wailed over a corpse. Israel faces growing international pressure to alleviate Gaza's catastrophic humanitarian crisis. More than two dozen Western-aligned countries and over 100 charity and human rights groups have called for an end to the war, harshly criticizing Israel's blockade and a new aid delivery model it has rolled out. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since May while trying to get food, mostly near the new aid sites run by a U.S. contractor, the U.N. human rights office says. The charities and rights groups said even their own staffers were struggling to get enough food. For the first time in months, Israel said it is allowing airdrops of aid, requested by neighboring Jordan. A Jordanian official said the airdrops will mainly be food and milk formula. Britain plans to work with partners such as Jordan to airdrop aid and evacuate children requiring medical assistance, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office said Saturday. The office did not give details. But the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, warned on social media that airdrops are 'expensive, inefficient and can even kill starving civilians' and won't reverse the increasing starvation or prevent aid diversion. Shurafa and Magdy write for the Associated Press and reported from Deir al Balah and Cairo, respectively.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Video Shows Direct Strike On Sanctioned Russian Military Factory
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Video footage released on social media purports to show the moment when a Ukrainian drone hit a critical Russian military site, sanctioned by the EU and the U.S. A clip showed the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flying across the sky before striking the facility in the Stavropol region of southern Russia. Newsweek has contacted the Russian and Ukrainian defense ministries for comment. Illustrative image from August 11, 2023 shows an operator in the Kyiv region with the airstrike drone called Punisher made by the Ukrainian company UA Dynamics. Illustrative image from August 11, 2023 shows an operator in the Kyiv region with the airstrike drone called Punisher made by the Ukrainian company UA It Matters Faced by constant Russian bombardment, Ukraine has continued to use drones to strike at Russian military targets, although Kyiv often does not claim responsibility for these strikes. Ukraine's latest hit on one of Russia's largest manufacturers of radio electronics which is sanctioned by the EU will deliver a blow to Moscow's military capabilities. What To Know Ukrainian drones struck the Signal radio plant in the Stavropol region overnight Friday according to a source in Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) quoted by the Kyiv Independent. The plant is just over 300 miles from Ukraine-controlled territory and makes electronic warfare equipment for front-line aircraft as well as active jamming systems, remote weapon-control modules, and other radio-electronic equipment. The Kyiv Independent said the attack hit premises which hosts expensive imported equipment, including computer numerical control machines. A second strike hit another building that hosts an electronic devices workshop. The facility is sanctioned by the European Union, the U.S. and Japan. Video posted on social media by Russian independent media outlet Astra purportedly showed one of the strikes, with a drone flying across the sky before striking a building, causing an explosion. Other social media channels posted the footage with one saying that the drone was a Shahed-type device. ❗️Another video of the attack by a new 🇺🇦Ukrainian kamikaze drone of the Shahed type on the 🇷🇺Russian Signal plant in Stavropol — 🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 (@front_ukrainian) July 26, 2025 Stavropol regional governor Vladimir Vladimirov confirmed the attack but said there no casualties were reported and there was a small fire. Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces downed 54 Ukrainian drones across eight Russian regions but did not report any being intercepted over Stavropol region. Pro-Ukrainian open source intelligence X account Tatarigami said that one building appears to have avoided critical structural damage, though localized fires were reported. The facility served military and civilian sectors, including supplying cathodic protection equipment for the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran, the post added. Meanwhile, Russia launched ballistic missiles against Ukraine overnight Friday with the heaviest attacks targeting Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions, according to Ukrainian authorities. What People Are Saying X channel War Translated posted: "Drones hit the Signal defense plant in Stavropol, a major facility in Russia's military-industrial complex. The plant makes radio-electronic equipment for combat aircraft, air defense, and electronic warfare systems. Pro-Ukrainian open source intelligence X account Tatarigami on X: "The Signal facility includes 7 production workshops, a testing center, and 2 design bureaus." Ukrainian intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent: "The SBU continues to systematically disable enemy (Russia's) facilities working for the war against such attack stops production processes and reduces the enemy's military potential." What Happens Next Ukraine is likely to continue its strikes against Russian military sites as it steps up its drone production. Meanwhile, Russia continues to use drones to strike at Ukrainian infrastructure.
